How much do you know about basketball? Whether you’re just now getting into playing the game or you’re a seasoned veteran, you can always learn some new techniques. Maybe you’d like to learn fancy tricks, or perhaps you want to play better defense. This article is going to guide you with a few helpful tips during your quest.
Make your passes quick and precise. This takes practice, but you can improve your passing skills over time. Find someone else who wants to improve their passing and run drills with them. Running up and down the court passing and dribbling will eventually become second nature and help you with your game.
You should practice boxing out the other players to improve your rebounding. It is really easy to do, but many experienced players forget about it during the game. Boxing out is simply getting in front of the other player when the shot is in the air. This puts you in a prime position to grab the rebound.
It is important to keep your balance when you shoot. You’ve seen the pros fall out of bounds when trying to shoot 30 feet from the basket; this is a bad move. Taking a shot when you are off balance will probably lead to a turnover. If you are able to improve your sense of balance, then you will find that your percentage of successful shots improves.
When you dribble, make sure that you use fingertips instead of palms. This gives you much more control over the ball. Using your palms can cause the ball to go all over the place on the court, whereas using your fingertips keeps it under your control when you have to run.
Keep in mind that basketball shoes don’t last forever. Ask questions at the store or do research to find out just how many games or months a good pair should last before needing replacement. You need to feel safe in the quality of your footwear when moving on the court.
Bad passes can be avoided with the right hand signals. One things that’s frustrating in basketball is passing to a teammate while they try heading to the basket. These common miscommunications can be avoided by utilizing hand signals, which tells the passing player the other player is ready for a pass. If they don’t signal, don’t pass to them.
Footwork is what gets you ready for a shot. You always want to beat your opponent to the open spot. Once you get into your position, you need to secure it. Strong footwork is key.
Learn how to use your hips, eyes, shoulders and entire body while dribbling. This can easily shake a defender off of you while dribbling if you look one way and move another. They are watching your body for clues to where you are going next. Use this to your advantage and throw them incorrect clues to get around them.
If you are going to get rebounds in basketball, it is important to get between the person you are guarding and the basket. Then back up against that person and start moving him away from the basket. This way, if he tries to go through you or over you to get the rebound, he has to foul you.
The only way to become a better basketball player is through practice and hard work. Anyone can better their skills, but in order to truly succeed and be better than other players is by improving your skills. It doesn’t take much, all you need is a hoop, a ball and desire to become better.
When you’re playing basketball, make sure that you dribble with your head up. If you feel that you have to look down every time you dribble, then you need more practice. Try to practice dribbling all over the place when you can without looking to get better at it. Watching good point guards can help since they always look forward and around when they dribble.
Always share with your teammates. When someone begins to guard you, start looking for someone to pass to and stop dribbling. If you don’t, your teammates won’t bother trying to find an open spot as they will know that you are a ball hog who doesn’t pass when the time is right.
Always try and play against players that are better than you. That’s how you improve your game the fastest. Not only do you see and learn what they do, but you just get better yourself from playing against them. You’ll figure out what works and what doesn’t work pretty quickly.
In order for a basketball team to play well together each player should be good at passing the ball. If you can’t make a simple pass then it is much easier for the opponent to defend you. Not only will passing help advance the ball down court quicker, it sets up your teammates for wide open shots.
When you are taking a free throw, be sure that your strong foot is out in front slightly. When your knees begin to straighten, let the ball go. Your heels should peel up off the floor as the ball leaves your hands. Use your stronger hand to follow through with the shot.
Your shooting stance is a vital part of making the shot. Whether you are shooting long distance, inside or making a free throw, your stance gives you proper balance and determines how much power is behind your shot. Point your feet at the basket and bend your knees. Bent knees affect the arc of your shot.
Don’t show up your teammates. Remember basketball is a team sport. If you spend time turning your team against you, you’ll find that your opportunities on the court will quickly dry up. Soon you could even be riding the bench. This is a team game that takes trust, so do your best to earn it.
So are you ready to get out there and show people what you’ve got? If this article has motivated you, just remember there is always plenty more to learn about basketball. It’s a widely-popular sport, and is so much fun. As you continue learning, you might find out that you enjoy it even more!